Loading ...He’s done it again. Only recently we reported on Philo Germano’s triumph at the Section 2 Championships. Yet this epic just keeps growing, as on Saturday, November 24th, Philo came in fifth at Nike Regionals, qualifying him for Nike Nationals in Portland, Oregon.
When we last spoke with Philo, he had set Albany High history by clenching victory at the Section 2 Championships and was focusing on the meets to come. Though he ultimately opted not to run at the Federation Championships on November 17th at Bowdoin State Park, he did still train for Nike Regionals, also at Bowdoin. Philo told us then that he was “shooting for top five and hoping to qualify for Nike Nationals in Portland, Oregon.”
That goal may have seemed a reach at the time; after all, Philo would be competing with the best New York State has to offer. And yet he did it again. With a time of 16:03.2, Philo came in fifth out of 224, edging out his closest competitor and securing himself a spot at Nike Nationals.
There’s no question that Philo will have to bring his A-game to Portland on December 1st, as he’ll be competing with the nation’s best high school cross country runners. But Philo’s demonstrated time and again that he rises to the occasion when under pressure. And above all else, Philo has yet another accolade to add to his already impressive résumé.
We at The Nest once again extend our congratulations to Philo and thank him and the cross country team for proudly representing Albany High this year.
Update: At Nike Nationals on December 1st, Philo placed 82nd out of 196 with a time of 18:26. The winning time was 17:06. Once again – congratulations, Philo.